Laughing Out Of Madness
by lostsoul512
Summary: SEQUEL TO SMILING OUT OF FEAR. The students of Arkham Academy return to complete their senior year, left to face the ghosts of that fateful night that changed everything. AU. BWxSK, JxHQ, PIxHD.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, my beautiful readers. So, I couldn't really wait any longer to get around to the sequel. For those rejoining me, welcome back. For any newcomers, I sincerely suggest you read the first story, Smiling Out of Fear. It can be found here: s/9777722/1/Smiling-Out-of-Fear. As per usual, I owe ninety percent of my inspiration to Colten, my very own Batman. He's been saving me for as long as I can remember. All rights to their respectful owners, etc. Enjoy! **

Winter had fully ensnared the city of Gotham. Snowflakes danced around the streets, falling in all directions as they were carried by the crisp breeze. From where she sat in the back seat of the taxi, Harleen Quinzel watched the snow with wide, sullen eyes. She hated winter, hated everything about it. Then again, these days she seemed to hate most everything.

The first day back from break had always been the hardest. This year, her final two semesters at the prestigious Arkham Academy, was the most difficult it had ever been. She had been anxious to graduate since school had started, and knowing there were only a few months left made that anticipation even stronger. But more than that, she was dreading returning to the one place she had spent her entire holiday trying to forget.

The taxi pulled up to the main sidewalk of campus, easing to a halt. "Need help with the bags?" The driver asked. The blonde girl only shook her head, handing him a wad of bills. She thanked him for the ride, slung her duffle over her shoulder and stepped out into the frosty air.

Once upon a time, this school had been her sanctuary. It was everything a girl could ask for, private, highly accredited, and a safe haven for her to stay. She was receiving the best education available on this side of the Mississippi. But now, thinking on it, Harley realized the only lesson she'd learned from it was that nothing in life was ever certain. Everything was constantly changing, and all she could do was try desperately to keep up.

She made a beeline for the dorms, eager to settle back into her room and unpack. Maybe meet up with her friends, but more than likely spend the night alone in her bed trying to make the rest of the world go away. She stepped inside the door and was instantly stopped by a man in a security shirt. "Bag check," he informed her gruffly, holding out his hand.

Oh, right. She had gotten the letter about that, but had apparently forgotten. Given the events that had occurred before their break, the ones she was pretending had all been a nightmare, the academy had added some new security precautions. Harley sighed, handing over her suitcase to the man. She stood by silently, arms wrapped around herself as he prodded through her belongings.

It was hard to believe it had only been two short weeks since that horrible night. To Harley, it felt so much longer. Like a past life, perhaps, in which she could only occasionally glimpse at. The memories had faded into little more than blurred visions and pain. Always the pain.

"You're all clear," the man told her, snapping her back into reality as he handed her bag back. Harley snatched it up and continued on to her room. She dug her key out of her pocket and let herself in. She wasn't surprised when, upon entering, her chest tightened and her heartbeat took off. She had ben expecting it to be the worst in here. In the room where _he_ had held her, kissed her, promised her things and made her belong to him forever.

When the tears began to spill out, Harley didn't even try to stop them. She managed to throw herself into the bed, their bed, the one in which they had spent so many nights. Now he was gone, and she was alone, and there was nothing that could ever repair the damage that had been done. She felt as though she would have done anything just to have him back. She would have forsaken her entire life just to be in his arms.

Harley had yet to learn that she should be careful what she wished for.

…

"Your bags, Mister Wayne."

Bruce smiled at the security guard, nodding in gratitude as he passed him a small tip. It was the least he could do, really, to show appreciation for the employees who now served to keep the school safe.

Of course, he knew it was a pointless measure. There were always ways around security, ways to break rules. There were always ways to bring danger into even the safest of places. And Arkham Academy was far from safe. At least while that lunatic was on the run.

Bruce shook his head, taking a deep breath. _Don't think about that now_, he told himself for possibly the thousandth time. He had been working hard all break to keep those thoughts at bay. But locked up in Wayne Manor, looking down over the city, it was so hard. Many nights he had contemplated going out in search of Joker, bringing him down so he could never cause harm again. In the end, he had stayed in, because he knew it was pointless.

"Coming, Bruce?" A gentle voice called out to him. He looked up to see Selina Kyle standing before him. Her long black hair hung in waves around her face, green eyes framed with light makeup. She was beautiful, really, and he had never felt such emotion for another person. Giving her a smile, he nodded.

Selina, for one, was glad to be back at school. She had spent most of her own winter break trying to convince Bruce that none of the events of that night had been his fault, talking him off an impossible ledge. Along with that, she'd been dealing with the rest of their friends' issues, not to mention coping with her own emotional scars. That night had torn each of their lives to shreds, and Selina doubted there was a single person who could piece them all back together.

Still, she was hoping that they could manage to throw themselves into their final semester and at least distract themselves. There would be no forgetting, not something like this. But perhaps they could at least find a way to move on with their lives.

"Everyone will probably meet later in the common rooms," she told Bruce when they had arrived at her room. He nodded, kissing her on the cheek. He murmured his goodbyes before turning and heading back down the corridor from which he had just come.

Selina watched him go until he was out of sight, sighing wistfully. She was a lot more worried about him that she'd been letting on. She was afraid of what that night had done to him. What it had done to all of them, really. They were all broken now, each in their own way. All because of _him_. There was no healing, no repair, no ignoring the wounds. There was nothing to do but fight them.

She just hoped they were strong enough to win the battle.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! Thank you for the lovely reviews I got on the first chapter. Not too much to say here, really. I'm still working on how to really get things going. Advice? Input? Words of utter kindness? You know the drill. **

Harvey Dent stared at his reflection in the mirror that hung over his dresser. He had lost track of just how long he'd been standing there, watching the man he no longer believed to be himself. The image had started to blur around the edges, fade into someone else. Someone he didn't even recognize anymore.

It had been two weeks since that night at the ballroom. Two weeks since he had lost control of everything in his life. Now, the face in the mirror was not his own, but a twisted form of a man he refused to acknowledge. The accident had left him horribly disfigured, and he feared the end of his future career had come long before it had ever really started.

He had known his first day back on campus would be the hardest. It was in the way all the other students, people he had once considered his friends, wouldn't even bring themselves to look at him. The way his best friend and roommate, Bruce Wayne, wasn't even speaking to him. And he knew they would all expect him to show up in the common room tonight for their pointless little gathering, but he was so much more content to just stay in his bed all night.

Sighing, Harvey shoved his hands deep into his pockets and fished out his lucky coin. It had been a present from his father- well, kind of. More like when his father had died last fall, the officer had given it to him. It was a constant reminder of the horrible person a man could become. And with all that had happened last semester at Arkham Academy, Harvey was starting to wonder if perhaps no one even had a say in their destiny. Maybe things just happened, and no one could control them, and in the end it was all left up to fate. Chosen by something as simple as a coin toss.

He examined the coin, rolling it between his fingers. One side, perfectly smooth and shiny. The other, scarred practically beyond recognition. It was all such a wonderful metaphor for his life now. The clock on his bedside stand read half past eight. More than likely the others were already gathered, catching up on all they had missed while on break. Heads, he could join them. Tails, he could stay here and wallow in self pity all night.

The coin toss ended clean side up.

"Fuck this," he muttered under his breath. Yet he was already shrugging into a hoodie and heading out the door.

…

There was always an interesting dynamic whenever their entire group was united in one place. By all accounts, none of them really should have been friends, but years of being thrown together at school had forged them into an unlikely sort of family, bound together by a million shared experiences.

Seated on the couch beside Pamela, Jonathan Crane wondered if those same things would eventually drive them apart. They knew each other much too well, knew what made the other tick, what broke their hearts and what filled them with fear. And once you knew somebody's secrets, you had all the power in the world to destroy them.

Selina and Pamela were busy swapping stories about their Christmas presents. Bruce was either doing a wonderful job of pretending to listen, or was genuinely hanging on their every word. Which left Jonathan alone with only his thoughts, which always seemed to prove a dangerous state.

There was only one thing on his mind anyway, and that was the whereabouts of a certain blonde girl. He hadn't seen a sign of Harley since arriving on campus, and he was honestly a little worried. He couldn't imagine it was exactly easy for her, being back here after what had gone down before break. And while he wanted little more than to take her up in his arms and hold her until all the bad things went away, he knew that in reality that probably wasn't what she needed.

"I mean, they're the least practical shoes I own," Selina was saying, gesturing to the murderous heels she was wearing, "but they're gorgeous, so I don't mind suffering a little."

Pamela opened her mouth to reply, but she stopped short as she caught sight of Harvey striding into the common room. All of his old confidence was gone, replaced with slumped shoulder and a fearful expression. He shuffled towards the group, pointing to the empty chair. "Can I join you?"

Bruce adverted his gaze, but Pamela was on her feet in a second, pulling him into a hug. She had spent a good amount of her break at the hospital with him, even staying there for most of her Christmas. She didn't even care about the damage inflicted by the accident. She had loved this boy for years, and she wasn't about to abandon him now, when he needed her more than ever. Harvey was terrified that his future in politics was over, and he needed the familiarity to keep him strong.

Jonathan stood up, allowing the two of them to sit together on the couch. As the awkwardness descended, he took the opportunity to make his getaway. No one seemed to notice when he started off towards the hallway that led to Harley's dorm room. He just needed to talk to her, know that she was okay. Surely there was no crime in that.

Reaching the door, he raised his hand to knock. When no sound came, he tested the handle. It twisted, so he let himself in. Harley was laying upon her bed, the only light coming from the screen of her laptop.

"I'm watching a show," she muttered without even looking up to see who it was. "Leave me alone."

Jonathan ignored her request and trotted over to the bed, sitting tentatively on the edge. "Hey, Harls," he said softly. Her cheeks were stained with dried makeup, giving away the fact that she'd been crying.

"Did you not here me?" She said. There was no real hostility in her voice, more so the sound of utter defeat. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you."

Jonathan tried not to let her words bother him. She was hurting, after all, and rejection was something he understood quite well. "Fine," he replied slowly. "But you know I'm here-"

"Don't act like you know what this feels like," she snapped, glaring over at him. "I don't want pity or sympathy or comfort, okay? I just want to be alone."

Jonathan didn't say another word, but obliged as he hurried back out the door through which he had come, slamming it just a little too hard.


	3. Author's Note

**A/N: I am taking a short hiatus from this story. I am terribly sorry for this, but real life has gotten in the way of any effective fanfic writing. I will be around here and there, I promise, and I hope you will all still be waiting when I get to the actual chapters of this story. I love you all. **

**-Skye**


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